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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
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C.O. 885
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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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Sir ALBERT HIME: Might the same list that has been furnished by the President of the Board of Trade to Sir Edmund Barton be also furnished to us?
The PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: Yes, I should be happy to furnish overy Colony with a list of the articles that seem to us to be primâ facie those on which we think the Mother Country would be specially benefited by a preference.
Sir ALBERT HIME: That is what I should like.
The PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE: But I wish it to be clearly understood that those lists must be taken as tentative.
Sir ALBERT HIME: Yes, quite so.
The SECRETARY OF STATE: I do not propose in detail, with this arrangement in the present stage, but before going any further I would ask the Premier of Newfoundland whether he wishes to say anything in regard to this matter, or whether he has considered the possibility of any preference in the Colony which he represents.
Sir ROBERT BOND: Our tariff, as I said a few days ago, has been framed solely for revenue purposes, and I do not think it would be possible for us to make any preference. Further, I do not think it would be any advantage to the Mother Country for us to revise our tariff in any way, inasmuch as the only goods that we import from foreign countries, principally the United States of America, are goods which this country could not supply to us. They would be leaf tobacco, kerosine, anthracite coal, flour, salt beef, and pork, which commodities this country could not supply.
The SECRETARY OF STATE: I do not think it is a matter of very much importance.
Sir ROBERT BOND: No, it is not of very much importance, rela- tively speaking. About two million dollars would represent our importations
from the United States.
The SECRETARY OF STATE: It is only a question of adhering to the principle.
Well, what I would suggest now is that we should take the draft resolution on the question of preferential trade, and when we have disposed of that, that then we should consider how far this statement which has just been read by the President of the Board of Trade could be added to the resolution as indicating the practical way in which effect is intended to be given, and that would be the time perhaps to discuss certain questions which are raised by the announcement of the intentions of the several Colonies. I think the Prime Ministers all have a copy of the draft resolution which I sent round, and I should be glad to know whether there is any objection to it, or whether there are any amendments to be proposed to it on the part of the Colonies.
Sir WILFRID LAURIER: I would ask Mr. Fielding to say a word or two as to that.
Mr. FIELDING: I would hope, Mr. Chamberlain, it would not be deemed necessary to have a vote taken to-day upon the draft resolution, for two reasons. First of all because, I think, it would require some time to re- consider the form, which is not entirely satisfactory to Canada; but beyond that I am inclined to think that no good purpose could be served by passing an abstract resolution in favour of preferential trade if we have not reached some probability of conclusion in regard to these matters of detail. Other- wise we would re-affirm what the Conference affirmed some years ago, and he no nearer to the end. I think Mr. Chamberlain himself held this view some few days ago. In my opinion, no good purpose is to be served by passing
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any resolution of this kind, unless we had really arrived at a probability of reaching a conclusion in the matters of detail. We are very hopeful that in the case of Canada, we shall be able to propose a scheme which will be acceptable to the Government, but we have not yet reached that point. We had a most satisfactory interview yesterday with Mr. Gerald Balfour, and following that, we have entered very fully into the Canadian case, and hayə prepared a list which we shall be able to put in his hands some time during the day, and we feel hopeful that such a list will be fairly satisfactory. But in the meantime we would submit for your consideration whether it is wise to attempt to pass the resolution, even in a vague and general form, which might end in accomplishing nothing. That, at all events, is the view of the matter as it presents itself to the Canadian minsisters.
Sir EDMUND BARTON; I think the suggestion of Mr. Fielding is a good one, and that we must give some further consideration among ourselves to this matter before you summon us again. We should then find out whether there is any possibility of the self-governing Colonies being able to agree upon some form of resolution which would go further than the abstract resolution passed here in 1897. If we do not go any further I understand that it will be considered useless to pass any such resolution. As to the present draft I beg to submit that it contains matter which would go somewhat to hinder he self-governing Colonies from coming to a common agreement. bound all to recognise that Governments supporting free trade principles and Governments supporting protectionist principles will alternate in self- governing Colomes; there will be one day a protectionist Government and another a free trade Government. In that view I would suggest it is not desirable to include in the terms of the resolution anything which might in the event of any such change render it less easy for the incoming Government to adopt the principle.
We are
In the case of Australia the present Government is a protectionist one, although it conceives the tariff which it has proposed to he under the necessities that are imposed upon the early Governments a very moderate tariff compared with those of other protectionist countries such as Canada. Now I put that forward for this purpose to indicate that the first paragraph of this resolution would be one which such a Government might find a difficulty in accepting. At the same time there is that in the resolution which I think a Government would have no difficulty in accepting, and I think this is a matter which would appeal to all the self-governing Colonies, because those who would be prepared to accept what is laid down in the first paragraph would also tell you, Mr. Chamberlain, that their successors would equally find a difficulty in accepting ir. Now, the acceptance and passage of a definite resolution may be a very good thing, but any such terms as would cause it to bring any friction into future trade relations would not be desirable. If then, in this resolution, the first paragraph were eliminated, the second one were to stand, and the third were to read some- what in this way :-"That it is desirable," (leaving out the few words which follow) :-"That it is desirable that the Colonies should as far as their cir- "cumstances permit, give substantial preferential treatment."--Then leaving out the words which follow in the draft and proceeding thus: "to the products "and manufactures of the United Kingdom on which duties are now levied, "and that the United Kingdom should reciprocally admit on preferential terms imports from the Colonies now subject to taxation"; retaining the fourth resolution, there would be very much less difficulty in the general acceptance of it, but inasmuch as the representatives of the other self-governing Colonies will not have had time now to consider the suggestion or hints that I have thrown out, I would suggest that no resolution be passed to-day, and that Sir Wilfred Laurier should call the Prime Ministers of the self-governing Colonies together in order to enable them to see how far they can go, and what they could submit to you as something they could generally accept.
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The SECRETARY OF STATE: Certainly; I should not think of pressing the present meeting to go any further after what has fallen from the representative of Canada and Sir Edmund Barton; but I would point
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